Extra Information

Synopsis

Fielding Chase murders the man who comes between his daughter
and himself, confident that he will never be found out. But he must contend with Lt. Columbo on MCA TV International's "COLUMBO" episode entitled "Butterfly In Shades of Grey." The segment was written by Peter S. Fischer and directed by Dennis Dugan.

Fielding Chase has more than fatherly interest in Victoria, his twenty-five year old foster daughter, according to Jerry Winters, investigative reporter for Chase's very popular radio show. When Victoria announces that a New York publisher referred by Jerry is interested in the novel she has written, and wants to meet her, Chase decides he must get rid of Jerry. He plans and carries out
the murder, shooting Jerry in his Hollywood house while faking proof that he was at home in Malibu Canyon, at the same time planting evidence to incriminate Ted, an actor friend of Jerry's. He then calls the police from his carphone, pretending to be on his way to the murder scene, and Lt. Columbo is on the case.

Chase's egomania is not lost on Columbo. He follows up on the clues, and is almost cast as a homeless extra when he visits Ted on the set of a soap opera. But the actor has an alibi with many witnesses. Victoria cannot believe her father is evil until she sees him abuse his power by ruthlessly setting up and destroying
the name of a senator on his radio show, without evidence and just because he can. She finally walks out on him for good.

Chase is a lonely and beaten man, but Lt. Columbo must bring him to justice, which he does by finding the flaw in Chase's story.